How to choose the right SEO keywords for your business

Start from intent, not volume

The most common mistake is chasing the biggest number in a keyword tool. 'Flooring' has huge volume and books nothing: nobody typing one word is ready to buy. 'Floor sanding and polishing Brisbane cost' has a fraction of the volume and a searcher with a project, a suburb and a budget. Volume tells you how many people search; intent tells you whether any of them become clients.

Map the three keyword types

Money keywords signal someone ready to engage: 'emergency plumber Ipswich', 'family lawyer Brisbane free consultation'. Research keywords signal a future buyer doing homework: 'how much does a kitchen renovation cost'. Brand keywords are your name and variations. You want all three, weighted in that order: money keywords on service pages, research keywords on guides that funnel to them, brand keywords protected so competitors can't buy your name out from under you.

Size up the competition before you commit

Search your candidate keyword and look at who holds page one. National directories, franchises and Wikipedia mean a long war. Local businesses with mediocre pages mean genuine opportunity. The winnable gaps are usually a niche down: PestCon's results came from owning 'end of lease pest control' and specific pest terms, not from outspending national franchises on the broadest phrase in the market.

The local advantage

Adding a location transforms difficulty. 'SEO agency' is a national bloodbath; 'SEO Brisbane' is a contest a good local firm can win. For service businesses, suburb and region terms are the highest-intent searches that exist: the searcher has already decided the where, and is choosing the who.

• →Intent beats volume, every time
• →Money keywords on service pages, research keywords on guides
• →Check who owns page one before committing
• →Location terms are the local business's unfair advantage